A Queens family was devastated after having to put their beloved 9-year-old cat “Cheese” to death when he returned home on Monday with a crossbow bolt in his chest.
The family heard the orange tabby cat meow as he entered their Little Neck home around 3 p.m. after walking around the neighborhood — something he did often — and quickly knew something was wrong.
“He’s quite a vocal cat … but he was meowing like something was wrong,” Michael Del Giudice, 27, told The Post. “My younger brother found him with the bolt in his body – someone shot him with a mini crossbow.”
Cheese, whose full name was “Cheese balls,” was shot in the chest, between the front legs, Del Giudice said.
“We took him to the vet and he had gone too far,” she added. “There was nothing we could do, so they had to shoot him.”
She said the vet thought the bow cut an artery and the indoor cat was bleeding from the inside.
Del Giudice said he and his family were devastated by the attack on poor Cheese — and angry too.
“He was a big cat, you could do what you wanted [without him minding],” he said. “You could wear it as a scarf. It was really nice to be mistaken for a cat.
Del Giudice believes whoever shot his cat did so intentionally and this may not be the first time the assailant has used the feline for target practice.
About six months ago, he found what he thinks is the plastic tail of a dart or dart attached to Cheese’s fur, he said.
“It wasn’t a child who got a crossbow for Christmas. At least in the last six months, someone has been chasing cats, maybe even raccoons,” Del Giudice said.
The neighborhood, which Del Giudice said was filled with animal lovers and pet owners, has been on high alert since Monday’s attack.
“The people who care for the cats in the other block have noticed that some of the cats they usually care for regularly have gone missing,” she added.
The Little Neck resident said she has her own alley cat, a black cat she named Pepper, who she often takes care of.
“But I haven’t seen him for a few days, so it’s a bit worrying,” Del Giudice said.
The close-knit community came together to spread the word about a possible serial animal abuser who Del Giudice called “reassuring” after the loss of a furry family member.
An NYPD spokesman confirmed the report and said investigators were investigating.
Del Giudice said he hoped the police caught the attacker.
While the patient remains free, Del Giudice said he hopes other pet owners in the neighborhood stay alert.
“Everyone in this neighborhood has pets,” she said. “I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
